NCJ Number
182344
Journal
Trauma, Violence, and Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2000 Pages: 115-127
Date Published
April 2000
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This analysis of youth violence notes that recent qualitative changes in the nature of violence suggest that violent crime rates may not adequately reflect a community’s overall health and that exposure to illegal drug markets and the accompanying violence may negatively affect children during critical phases of development.
Abstract
Multidisciplinary analysis and the integration of research and opinion from several disciplines suggest that this effect occurs through at least three routes: maternal, familial, and community. Maternal cocaine use may affect children directly through perinatal exposure to illicit drugs and indirectly through disruptions in maternal behavior. In addition, maternal drug abuse and drug seeking may significantly disrupt the family structure and family interactions. Moreover, maternal involvement in illegal drug markets presents unique risks to the home environment and the children. Finally, community acceptance of illegal drug markets may result in the normalization, expectation, and glamorization of drugs and violence; the impact of drugs and violence may erode social norms and collective efficacy. The profound negative impact of exposure to illegal drug markets suggests the need to expand the definition of crack babies to include other children living in communities inundated with drugs and violence. Responses should include primary, secondary, and tertiary approaches. Author biographies, 5 references, and 68 references